CHICAGO — Another string of daytime robberies on Monday wound through the same Chicago neighborhoods that have been hit time and time again by similar sprees since early this year: West Town, Bucktown, and Logan Square. And one of the West Town robberies was caught on video.
The holdups began around 12:40 p.m. in the 2300 block of West Charleston. Another quickly followed that in the 2300 block of North Western.
In both instances, a group of armed men wearing black hoodies exited a dark vehicle and robbed the victims.
The spree moved west to the 4500 block of West Diversey around 1 p.m. Two men were in an alley when a dark blue Infiniti pulled up, and three masked gunmen got out to rob them.
Then, around 1:45 p.m., the same crew robbed another victim at Fulton and Western in West Town. Moments later, a food vendor was robbed at gunpoint in the 200 block of North Oakley.
Finally, around 1:50 p.m., the Infiniti crew spotted another victim in an alley behind the 400 block of North Paulina.
Surveillance video provided to CWBChicago shows the victim walking to a parked car as the Infiniti stopped nearby at the mouth of the alley. As the victim gets into the car, the SUV pulls up behind him, blocking him in, and gunmen step out to rob him.
Here’s the video:
An officer at the scene described the robbers as Black males wearing black clothing and black ski masks. They’re thin and stand 5’6″ to 5’10” tall.
As of last Monday, robbery reports were up 25% compared to last year and up 38% compared to 2019.
But the neighborhoods hit by today’s spree are in even worse shape.
On the west end, CPD’s Grand Central (25th) District has seen a 132% increase in robberies compared to last year. Robberies are up 120% versus 2019.
Next door, in the Near West (12th) District, which includes areas from Humboldt Park to the West Loop, robberies have increased by 63% this year. They’re up 110% compared to 2019.
Robberies are up 59% this year in CPD’s Shakespeare (14th) District and up 125% versus 2019, according to the police department’s latest stats. Based in Logan Square, Shakespeare’s officers serve nearby neighborhoods like Bucktown, Wicker Park, and part of Humboldt Park.
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